In a major breakthrough for peace talks with militants, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has finalised the blueprint of the mechanism for peace talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). This blueprint will be shared with the major stakeholders in talks, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Nawaz Sharif, who has been nominated as the next prime minister. The PML-N chief has already given principled approval to the peace plan.
Peace-building in FATA envisages an objective; establish peace and a roadmap or a mechanism to achieve the objective. The implicit assumption of conflict resolution is using indigenous conflict resolution mechanism called ‘jirga’. The jirga draws in elites, religious scholars, political representatives, etc.
A forum has already been worked out and brought to Islamabad to win support from the national leadership of 50 parties, both in government and opposition who pledged to support the jirga efforts after elections. The same jirga can be reactivated and made more inclusive.
The jirga will treat Taliban versus the government as two parties and will deal with them as a collective body rather than as individual interlocutors.
The ‘mechanism’
There will be five stages to the mechanism of blueprint. In the first stage, a ceasefire would be declared between the two parties. In the second stage, the jirga will meet both sides to enquire of redlines and conditions. The third stage will involve the jirga meeting both parties for an “authority” to adjudicate.
In the fourth stage, the jirga will announce its decision and choose a middle ground securing the grievances and redlines of both sides. The fifth stage would be to supervise compliance of the agreement and enforce penalties if terms are breached by either side.
What this means
All the stakeholders, including the Taliban and the government (including the Pakistan Army and its auxiliary agencies) will not act as a ‘spoilers’ against the jirga or conditions of agreement. A mechanism and policy statement will be in place whereby no party will be ‘upsetting’ the other party.
The same lessons will be used in case of Afghanistan if requested by the Afghan Taliban and their government in case of post-2014 US and NATO forces withdrawal from Afghanistan,
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will announce strategic and political autonomy from the US-led war on terrorism.
A delegation of Pakistan’s leading religious scholars and ulema would negotiate with the Taliban and assure them that if they had problems with the system, the use of Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) forum would be available to provide advice and insight for any amendment in the Constitution of Pakistan in case they convinced the scholars and ulemas.
Their nominee will also have a representation in the CII.
The Taliban: who to negotiate with?
Firstly, the jirga will negotiate with TTP and then will ask the other groups to form a group and talk to the jirga if they wanted peace. Fazlur Rehman has received messages from several groups other than the TTP to be made part of the talks. There might be splinter groups/individuals who will still remain on the state’s hit-list.
According to the proposed document, a local jirga called as Qaumi Amn Jirga (National Peace Council) comprising 1,200 local ulema and elders from FATA would be formed to start negotiations with the Pakistani Taliban at local levels.
To encourage the peace dialogue group, it has further been proposed that the traditional use of tribal healthy customs of consultation and the Islamic teachings of peace, forgiveness and kindness may be combined to cement new relationships in the lives of tribal people and their communities.
Pakistan has lost 49,000 lives since September 11, 2001. Pakistan has also suffered $68 billion losses in the global war on terror. The number of wounded and displaced people and the destruction of schools and mosques are unknown.
The backdrop
Fazlur Rehman had organized a peace conference in February where Nawaz Sharif was a participant along with 50 other political and opinion leaders and scholars. The conference had developed consensus for dialogue and negotiation with the Taliban which has the blessings of most of the political parties belonging to the previous PPP-led government. The conference backed the jirga of tribal people present to hold dialogue.
TTP knows Fazlul too well back to front and would never agree to talk through a bottom boy.
Five steps means 5 federal ministries.
Thats great,now the decisions are going to be made based on the rules and laws from 2000 years ago in the year 2013.So it is true that Pakistan continues to go backwards while other countries make progress.Pakistan is going to allow jirga leaders who have no education make enormous decisions???
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